FIL CAMPBELL
Beneath the Calm
self-released (2002)
http://www.fil.campbell.com

Beneath the Calm is contemporary folk, not the type of music I usually volunteer to review. But Fil Campbell has two things going for her. One is that she is from Northern Ireland. The other is that she has a really nice voice.

The album starts with one of the catchier songs, "Somebody Up There," a bluesy Mick Hanly composition. Somebody up there likes me. The next one is catchy too, her own "Free My Soul." Free my soul let me find its own road. Fil sings about love, relationships, sorrow, and the depths of her own soul. The verses are smooth and skillful. The styles and tunes are acoustic pop, like popular standards; the arrangements run to guitar and piano, plenty of piano. There are no stories and not much is in the album for traditionalists.

But Fil's voice is a breathy warble with a touch of your Irish. It's warm, pretty and really interesting. For me, Beneath the Calm has been nice to listen to when I want a voice that I can understand but says no words. It would be a fine album for someone who appreciates lyrics that they can agree with within themselves, beneath their own calm.

gennett at gorge dot net

The Columbia Gypsy